Surprise for a Friend
by ChelsieSouloftheAbbey
Summary: Elsie and Charles are cooking up a surprise...Pure fluff! Happy Birthday, chelsiefan! S5 spoilers.


**HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHELSIE FAN! XX**

The hallway was dark, and Charles was certain that not a soul was awake; however, never being able to count on Mrs. Patmore having actually gone to bed, he tiptoed past the kitchen, silently peeking inside to see that her desk was, in fact, devoid of an occupant. Slipping into the store cupboard with the key that Elsie had so gleefully passed to him under the dinner table, he grabbed what he needed, locking the door behind him.

Back in the butler's pantry, Elsie was waiting for him. She noted the items in his arms, and they quickly got to work. It had been ages since Elsie had done anything of this sort, and she was grateful that Charles had volunteered for his particular, detail-oriented task. _How wonderful that he has such a steady hand,_ she thought as she turned back to her own little project, a flush creeping up her face.

Charles caught her eyes at that moment, instantly aware of her thoughts. He stopped writing for a minute, walking around the table to place a not-so-gentle kiss on her lips. _Two weeks,_ he thought gleefully. _In two weeks we'll be married. Thank God._

Having finished up his task some twenty minutes later – flawless results, of course – Charles moved to Elsie's side and looked over her shoulder at the album before her. Pictures from staff photos at Downton, over a great many years, and new ones they'd recently (secretly) paid to have taken filled the pages. It had been a labor of love indeed, and Elsie was quite proud of herself. She'd managed to make it up to bed early every night this week in order to have this finished on time, which meant foregoing their regular nightcap for what felt like **_way_** too many evenings, but she knew it would be worth it in the end. Besides, they'd be married ( ** _married!_** ) before long anyhow, and nightcaps would be increasingly easier to come by. _Sigh._

"I've finished, Charles – what do you think?" she asked, adding one final note to the last page.

"Perfect," he whispered, gazing at her face.

Elsie looked up and caught his gaze, laughing quietly. "The **_book_** , Charles. What do you think of the _book_?"

"Oh, yes … that's lovely as well," he said with a smile.

"That's done, then. I've the wrapping right here …" she trailed off. "Are you sure …?"

He chuckled lovingly. "I can manage wrapping one gift, Elsie. Go to bed."

"Thank you." Grabbing him in her arms, Elsie placed several more kisses to his lips before heading up. "Good night, love."

"Good night, my dear. I'll be sure to hide everything when I've finished."

The next morning, Elsie made it to the servants' hall a bit earlier than usual. Charles was already there, and she sent him a silent, questioning look. Replying with just a nod, he let her know all was well. As the servants began filing into the hall, Elsie made her way to Charles's pantry and took the cake from the desk. Carefully lighting the candles, she made her way very slowly back to the servants' hall.

"Mrs. Patmore? Could you join us, please?" called Charles.

"Just a minute, Mr. Carson! This meal isn't going to plate itself!" came her sassy reply.

As Mrs. Patmore entered the servants' hall, a round of applause could be heard throughout the entire downstairs, and a chorus of "Happy Birthday" was sung as Elsie entered with Charles's carefully decorated cake.

Mrs. Patmore was, for once, rendered absolutely speechless. She looked at Daisy in wonder, and the girl just hugged her in response.

"Happy Birthday, Mrs. Patmore," she whispered.

"How on earth did they manage to pull this off, Daisy?" Daisy, however, said nothing.

 _Well, speechlessness doesn't last long with her, does it?_ Elsie shook her head, smiling.

"Daisy made the cake, which I conveniently hid in the store cupboard until last night," replied Elsie. "Mr. Carson decorated it, and I've made you … this," she said, handing over the package that Charles had hidden away under the table.

Opening it, Mrs. Patmore was overcome with emotion. "Well, I never …" she said, a tear sliding down her cheek. "And you," she said in Daisy's direction, "I supposed that explains why you got _no_ _sleep_ a couple of nights ago?"

Elsie moved closer to the cook and spoke softly in her ear, "Charles and I wanted to acknowledge your birthday with a celebration for everyone, but this gift is really from the two of us. We have so much to thank you for, Beryl."

The women shared a long look, one full of gratitude for a friendship built from shaky beginnings, but one which had carried them both through countless struggles: war and rationing, illness, death, war memorials, fights over a little, all-important key … and support given by one kind-hearted cook for a love that had slowly blossomed between a housekeeper and butler. It was a friendship that they each valued above most other things, one that they knew would be maintained despite the vast changes that were approaching on the horizon.

Mrs. Patmore opened the album's cover, gasping at its loveliness. She turned the pages and saw her career in review: staff members that had come and gone, younger versions of herself included, and the faces of her oldest and dearest friends as they stood at attention beside those whom the cook had long since considered her family … _even Mr. Barrow_ , she thought with an inward smirk. And, towards the very end, newer pictures, photos of Daisy, the girl who at some point along the way had become her daughter.

"I cannot thank you enough," she whispered. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you both."

"You're going to retire, Beryl, when you're ready - when **_Daisy_** is ready, which given the way this cake came out will be very soon indeed. And we shall visit, and have you over at the cottage on your half days."

The cook just nodded. "Yes, of course. I know that. It's just … well, a great deal to fuss over when I don't really have the time to do so," she laughed.

Elsie gave her friend a quick hug, releasing her before they were both crying. "Then you'd better get to work!"

Mrs. Patmore turned to head into the kitchen again, then turned back and said to everyone, "Thanks to all of you for this. It's been ages since I've had a proper birthday cake, and I've never known you all to be so good at keeping a secret from me!" Reaching her hand out, she squeezed Daisy's in her own. She then made her way to Charles, giving him a squeeze on the arm. "Charlie boy," she whispered, "I'll cut you the biggest piece. I know chocolate is your favorite."

He just smiled in return, looking much like the young boy the cook had met so long ago. He took Elsie's hand as she returned to his side.

"This was a wonderful idea, my dear," he whispered to his fiancée.

"Me? Oh no," she said, shaking her head. "It wasn't my idea – I thought you knew?"

Looking across the servants' hall, they both caught the tears in Daisy's eyes that she was trying desperately to hide. Giving her a nod of thanks, Elsie pulled Charles's hand and led him back to his seat, where he eagerly awaited the large piece of cake that was heading his way.


End file.
